Tying device



OCMZ, 1951 G. T. ROGERS ET AL 2,569,780

TYING DEVICE Filed Aug. 9, 1948 Patented Oct. 2, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT *OFFICE l Y 2,569,780.k

TYING DEVICE George T. Rogers and IrwinrW. Coleman, Mc- Kenney, Va., assignors of one-half to R. Pinkney Sowers, Richmond, Va.

Application August 9, 1948,A Serial No. 43,316

3 claims. (o1. 242-149) .The invention relates to a tieing device par- U ticularly adapted for use by farmers and tobacco growers in tieing together tobacco leaves on to drying sticks. While the tieing device is especially adapted for the purpose referred to, it is continued, consequent friction or rubbing of the string against the operators fingers causes abrasion and injury to the fingers of the Stringer and is a severe handicap to the operator.

An object of the invention is to provide a hand tieing device or tool of simple inexpensive 4construction whereby the work of the tieing tobacco leaves can be performed without injury to the hands of the operator and that will enable the roperator to work more rapidly.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hand tieing device of the character referred to which will act as a guage to facilitate tieing the lstems of the leaves together at a predetermined distance from the outer ends of the stems and thus assuring the tieing of the leaves at a uniform distance from the ends of the stems.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tieing device that can be rmly and comfortably grasped by the operator and can be easily manipulated. i

vide in a tieing device of the character referred to, simple, eicient, easily operable string clamping and tensioning means.

A still further obiect of the invention is toprovide in a hand tieing device of the kind mentioned, means whereby the string may be conveniently severed `after the tieing operation and arranged so as not-to interfere with the manipulation of the tool in the tieing operation and so that the operators hands will not be injured by .the same. Y

The invention, with other obiects and advantages thereof, and the particular construction,

combination, and arrangement of parts comprising the same, will be understood from the herein- Still another objectof the invention is to prosus Y 2 In the drawings:` Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a tieing device con- .structed in accordance with the present invention. i

` Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line `2---2 .of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the device.

` Fig. 4 is a top plan view.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinally sectional view.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation, on a reduced scale, illustrating how the device is adapted to be grasped in the hand of the operator.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention .is illustrated in the drawings, it will of course be understood that minor changes and modifications 4maybe made in the particular construction shown, `and the invention may be embodied-in other forms as willappeal to those skilled in the `art and falling within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to a detail description of the particular embodiment of the invention illustrated inthe drawing, the construction shown comprises an elongated handle l and a stem part 2 on the handle integral therewith and extending laterally therefrom at the forward part and underside thereof. The handle I is preferably formed as shown in the drawing, of general semi-circular shape in cross section with concave finger receiving recesses `3 in the underside thereof, the walls of the `finger recesses being formed with serrations 4. The handle is provided with an interior string guiding channel 5 extending longitudinally from its rear end 6 to and along a face portion 1 at the upper side thereof, said channel continuing `forwardly and inwardly in a gradual curve from said face portion 1 and then extendinfr transversely through the handle and length- Wise of and through the stem part 2 to the outer end thereof.

On tbe handle I at the forward part thereof. is means for gripping and putting tension on the string il passing through the channel l5; The moans for this purpose. comprises a iievible strip member Bsecured at one end at IU to the handle at its upper side bv screws Il or ervuivalent securing means, said flexible cord gripping member `E! extending over tbe channel 5 at the upper face portion I of the handle and being adapted to be pressedI inwardly by the thumb of the user of the tieing device into frictional engagement with theexposed portion of the string 8 to exert a braking action thereupon, to put tension on the string passingthrough the channel, or to clamp the same against movement yalong the channel. AsV shown in Figs. 1 and 5 of the drawing, that portion of the string B in the channel 5 at the upper face portion 1 of the handle projects thereabove.

The flexible brake member 9 is preferably constructed of leather but it may be formed of any other suitable fabric havingk .a .like N.degreeof flexibility and. similar.'o ualities` providing-a :yieldable, frictional gripping surface. The handle I and stem part 2 may be made of wood or plastic or any other suitable material. The string or cord 8 is threaded into the tieing deviceffrom the` rear end 6 ofthe handle,.the string extending through the channel Bland cnt o'f'the ,OuterV end of the stem part 2, as shown, the supply ball of string, not shown, being carried by the op- Y tieing up bundles and other articles, can be rapidly and eiciently performed Without injury to the hands of the operator, the tieing device being easily manipulated in the tieing operation. The invention provides in ia. simple way for guiding the operator in tieing the stems of tobacco leaves together at -a.predetermined.distance from the `outerendspf V.the stems to insure-substantial uniformity in this respect, and simple, efficient, easily operable means is provided for exerting braking action on the string passing through the in- .f'terior guide channel of the device, and which .provides .for readily .varying the tension on the erator in any suitable way, las in-ai-bag 3hung A from the belt. On the handle I at the forward part and at one side thereof is a string cutter I2. This is shown as formed from a small strip of steel bent intermediate its"ends'to provide a bladefportion"`l3.having a cutting edge I4,'and an angu'larlydisposed attaching portionY I5 "that is xedly secured to the handle by ascrew'jIB, or like-fastening means.

vIn -the 'use of puntieingdevice "in Stringing or tieing-tobacco leaves, with 'thestringthreaded through the channel Y*5 rlint-he handle, :the end of the string v'that extendsrfromthe outer engd 2a `efrfthe'stem'part "2 isattac'hedto one `end oa tobacco drying stick. *A small'bunch rof leaves is 'held in one '-hand -With the stems extending upwardly.Y The'khanrdle v'I `of `the device "grasped 1in ithe other hand, 4isn-positioned outwardlypf the outer or 'topfenlds roffthe'stemrs transverselythereof with the Vstem'partof thev device disposed substantially parallel with 'the stems. The string "18 is 1thenWrapped severaltimes'aroun'dthe stems, Abybodily-movement ofthe `transversely disposed handle beyond VIVand 'ina 'plane' transversely Vof 1`the outer ends of the stems to carry the fstempart 2 around the :stemsthe string being 'drawn-f'from thee outer end -of the stem Apart 2, pressure 'being Vexerted-on the flexible'l-bra'ke or str )pmerr'iber `A9 v-to'putftension lon the `string as desired 'in the vwrappingoperation. The'bunch of leaves-with lthe stems thus "bound i-together `is then ipped completely over the string so fthata `hitchis made therein. "-Ihishitchkeeps the lstring 'from becom- 'ingfuntied and 'the bunch `of leaves is 'then-allowed *to hang on one side-of the drying stick. The 'stems of another bunch of Nf-leaves are similarly tied and permitted to'Y hanggon the vopposite 'side `ofthe stick. `l'henfjfthe devicefis move'dashort 'distance along `rthe drying l stick `and-"the tieing operations repeated. the -"tieing Aoperations being Y fcon'tinued to ithe=oppositeend ofthe 4stick yWhere "therstr'ing 'drawn fromfthefstem part 2 -`isfsevered vby pressing thesame-againstfthe"cuttingiedge'14 of: vthe 'cutter I2,`the str-ingIbeingthentiedftoithe end of the stick. Y

As A:will berunderstood, with the fha-ndle` I Adis- Y p 'tieing device offsimple-constructionbylwhichthe what weclaimlis:

1. A device for tieing together tobacco leaves includ'i-nggaihandle of a length to be grasped in the..hand, a stem part on the handle at the for- Ward part thereof normally extending laterally from the underside of the, same, the handle bein gjprovided' with an interiorstring'guidingchan nel extending wlongitudinally i'from the` rearrend o'f thesame to'andthencethrough an-upperfa-ce portion thereof at forward part, :andjsaid f'handle' having f an interior- Achannel` leading *from `theiforward-end of said upper'face portionfo the handle L'transversely through thehafndle Aand throughthe stem parttothe outer Vgend of '.th'e same, said laterally extending nstem parte constituting 4gauge 'means zito facilitatetie'ine`r Aof fthe stems Vof the "leaves together-at ,apredeennined distanceY from Athe -outer -ends'bf'rthe stems, and means -on'fthe handle v extending Y'over `said-lupper `face portion of theg-sarne at forward `,part thereof to 'be pressed inwardly "'intof-'frictional engagement with 'a -string`-extending -alongrsai'd Aupper YV:face portion rto exert a braking-'action thereupon toelamp -or'applyStensiontoithestring 4-passingdz'hrough said-interior channels Aand `said 'stemrpart y -A- device for -tieing together *tobacco V4leaves including `a"l 1anjdle',of a -length-to `be grasped-in the hand; a vstempart -on the handle fatthe-*for- Ward part thereof normallyfexltending laterally :from the underside of the sameat `sub s-tantially a right angleftheretofthe*handle'being-fproyided `with an interior 'string guiding channel extending longitudinally 'from'thevrear end of thessame vte `'and Y'thence -'through an/upper lface portion :thereofn at l'fi tsffforward -=part,-and said handle having an interi-orchannelfleadingfronijtheorward end of said vnpperface `v`portion Aof lthe handle transversely through the handle andthroughfthe stemn part l:to -i-the outerend -of theasame` said'laterally extending stem p part constituting gauge Ameans toffacilitatef'tieing-"of `-themstems oflthe -le'aves'itoget-her\atl apredetermine'd idistance-.fro'm the router-'ends of fthe stems, tandmeans on the handle extending over said upperjfacegportion of the same at `the fforwardjpart thereof ',tof'be pressedinwardlyfinto frictinal engagement with a string extendingalong 'sai-grupperface` portion itosexert afbraking faction-thereupon itc clamp-or applyftensionitofthe stringjpassing v:through said interiori channels and :said-stern part. l

13. -ldevice for tieing #together "tob'accoleaves including a handle of a length to be grasped l'in Atheh-and, the'lhan'dle `being --provided iwith aneinpterior-*string guiding channel -extending AVlongitu- Ydinlly'-from'fthe rear fend l'th"ereof to andalong-an upper-:outer fface Iportion of the 1 same-avthe forpart thereof -fand thence `v-transversely through the handle toI the undersidathereofthat Vportionofysaid channel that extends along `the work of itieingtobacco 'leaves togethergand'ff. 7?5, upper Qutfr. fade. vportiennf the-handle Aai', Lthe forward part thereof being open at its upper side so that a string extendingr along this portion of the`channe1 projects above the adjoining outer side face portions of the handle, and a flexible member secured at one end to the handle at the upper side thereof and extending over the open portion of the channel at said upper outer face portion at the forward part of the handle, said flexible member being adapted to be pressed inwardly into engagement With a string in the 10 channel at the portion of the channel that eX- tends along the upper outer face of the handle and is open at its upper side to press the string against the wall of said channel to exert a braking action upon the string to clamp or apply Iten- 15 sion to the string passing through the channel. GEORGE T. ROGERS. IRWIN W. COLEMAN.

6 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 604,759 Johnson May 31, 1898 762,739 Middleton June 14, 1904 866,060 Pueger Sept. 17, 1907 1,809,607 Swigart June 9, 1931 2,183,310 Frantz Dec. 12, 1939 2,299,156 Lind Oct. 20, 1942 2,374,457 Reeves Apr. 24, 1945 2,414,169 Raymond Jan. 14, 1947 

